Venezuela earthquakes
What's happening and how can I help?The situation in Venezuela
Two powerful earthquakes shook Venezuela on Wednesday 24 June 2026. They struck less than a minute apart, and the second was the strongest to hit Venezuela since 1900.
Initial reports indicate that over 5,000 people have been killed, with thousands injured and tens of thousands still missing. Hundreds of buildings have collapsed, hospitals have been damaged, and the health services are overwhelmed.
During the first 24-72 hours after a major earthquake, the priority is finding and treating survivors. Initially, people need treatment for traumatic injuries.
Earthquakes of this magnitude rapidly overwhelm local health services, with ongoing provision of healthcare becoming the next priority.
How can I help?
Our team is on the ground in La Guira, Venezuela, running a fully operational field hospital and saving lives.
A donation to UK-Med today can help people in Venezuela and around the world to get the healthcare they need.
What is UK-Med doing?
UK-Med worked alongside the Venezuelan health authorities and international partners to identify where specialist medical support could have the greatest impact. Our assessment team brought together medical and logistical expertise which informed our current response and deployment of a field hospital.
This ‘field hospital’ is a temporary facility located in La Guaira – one of the areas that suffered the heaviest devastation – that mainly delivers primary healthcare and includes:
Since opening on the 7th July, the team has been seeing an increasing number of patients, with the highest patient numbers in one day reaching 130.
There is currently a clear need for psychosocial support as the team have seen a lot of families telling the team about relatives that have deceased in the earthquake or are yet unaccounted for and are visibly still very distressed
Our team is also looking at the risk of diseases spreading, as clean water supply has been disrupted by the earthquakes, and people have no choice but to stay in overcrowded shelters.
This is a critical window to save as many lives as possible, and that requires a coordinated effort.
UK-Med’s expertise
UK-Med has experience and expertise in saving lives after earthquakes. We’ve seen the pattern before in Türkiye, Syria, Nepal, Haiti and other places around the world.
Local healthcare workers will be overwhelmed and exhausted. Their own homes and families are likely to be affected. Providing relief to them is critical.
UK-Med is part of a global network of emergency medical teams. The coordination work of the assessment team makes sure that work isn’t doubled up and that our help reaches those who need it most.